Muhammad Khan in Dr. 阿尔贝托Rascon’s Chemistry laboratory win’s California State University 23-university Student 研究 Competition Award
From left to right: 菠菜网lol正规平台 undergraduate Muhammad Khan, Dr. 阿尔贝托Rascon
菠菜网lol正规平台 undergraduate Muhammad Khan, mentored by Dr. 阿尔贝托Rascon in the Department of Chemistry, won first prize in the 2021 California State University Systemwide Student 研究 Competition in the Biological & Agricultural 科学s category. 这意味着 competing against students from across the 23-university system!
The title of Muhammad’s research is: Targeting Aedes aegypti Mosquito Midgut Proteases as a Novel Vector Control Strategy. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is responsible for transmitting viruses, such as the Dengue fever and Chikungunya viruses, via blood-feeding. New and more viable control strategies are needed for diseases transmitted by mosquitos, warranting the study of proteases involved in blood digestion. Muhammad’s work focuses on a recently discovered serine protease named AaSPI. However, the predicted activity may not be that of a typical serine protease, and in fact, this might be a specific Ntn hydrolase that utilizes a Thr amino acid at the N-terminus for activation. 生化 studies are now needed to confirm this activity and its role in blood meal digestion.
Dr. 阿尔贝托Rascon’s research is funded by a grant from the National 研究院 of Health entitled, “Vector Control Strategy Through Inhibition of Aedes aegypti Midgut 蛋白酶”. Since Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are becoming resistant to the insecticides that have been used to attempt to keep them under control, it is critical to develop new strategies to reduce mosquito populations. His research laboratory several approaches to solve this problem, using biochemistry to better understand the mosquito and ways to specifically target it. Dr. Rascon takes pride in mentoring undergraduate and masters-level research students in his cutting-edge research, as do faculty research mentors throughout the Chemistry and Biology 部门, and the entire 菠菜网lol正规平台 College 科学的.
